Congress reduced 'Sengol' to walking stick in museum: Amit Shah

Amid the ongoing row between Congress and the BJP over the historicity of "Sengol" and whether it must be placed in the new Parliament building, Union Minister Amit Shah hit out at the grand old party for 'reducing' the significance of the sacred sceptre by confining it to a museum as a 'walking stick'.

New Delhi: The controversy surrounding the 'Sengol' as a representation of the 'transfer of power' took a contentious turn when Union Home Minister Amit Shah responded to Congress, accusing the party of harbouring disdain for Indian traditions and culture. This reaction came in the wake of Jairam Ramesh, Congress Communication chief, expressing on Twitter that there is a lack of documented evidence supporting the notion that Mountbatten, Rajaji, or Nehru described the 'Sengol' as a symbol of the transfer of power from the British colonial empire to India.

Taking to Twitter, Amit Shah said, "Why does the Congress party hate Indian traditions and culture so much? A sacred Sengol was given to Pandit Nehru by a holy Saivite Mutt from Tamil Nadu to symbolize India’s freedom but it was banished to a museum as a ‘walking stick’."

• What connects most parties which are boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building?
  
  The answer is simple- they are dynasty run political parties, whose monarchic methods are at loggerheads with the principles of republicanism and democracy in our Constitution.

  — Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) May 26, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  What connects most parties which are boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building?
  
  The answer is simple- they are dynasty run political parties, whose monarchic methods are at loggerheads with the principles of republicanism and democracy in our Constitution.

  — Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) May 26, 2023

  ">

  What connects most parties which are boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building?
  
  The answer is simple- they are dynasty run political parties, whose monarchic methods are at loggerheads with the principles of republicanism and democracy in our Constitution.

  — Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) May 26, 2023

After Congress leader Jairam Ramesh dismissed the suggestion that this sceptre represents the transfer of power from the British to India as completely 'BOGUS', the Union Minister said, "Now, Congress has heaped another shameful insult. The Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, a holy Saivite Mutt, itself spoke about the importance of the Sengol at the time of India’s freedom struggle. Congress is calling Adheenam’s history BOGUS! Congress needs to reflect on their behaviour."

Hitting back at Congress and other parties over their move to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by PM Narendra Modi, BJP national president J P Nadda accused Congress and other Opposition parties of putting politics above the nation. He tweeted, "What connects most parties which are boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building? The answer is simple - they are dynasty-run political parties, whose monarchic methods are at loggerheads with the principles of republicanism and democracy in our Constitution."

• Now, Congress has heaped another shameful insult. The Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, a holy Saivite Mutt, itself spoke about the importance of the Sengol at the time of India’s freedom. Congress is calling the Adheenam’s history as BOGUS! Congress needs to reflect on their behaviour.

  — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 26, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Now, Congress has heaped another shameful insult. The Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, a holy Saivite Mutt, itself spoke about the importance of the Sengol at the time of India’s freedom. Congress is calling the Adheenam’s history as BOGUS! Congress needs to reflect on their behaviour.

  — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 26, 2023

  ">

  Now, Congress has heaped another shameful insult. The Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, a holy Saivite Mutt, itself spoke about the importance of the Sengol at the time of India’s freedom. Congress is calling the Adheenam’s history as BOGUS! Congress needs to reflect on their behaviour.

  — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 26, 2023

"The people of India are seeing how these parties are putting politics above the nation. These parties will be punished yet again by the people for their partisan politics!", Nadda added.

Earlier, Jairam Ramesh tweeted about the 'Sengol' saying that the sceptre is now being used by the PM & his drum-beaters for their political ends in Tamil Nadu. This is typical of this brigade that embroiders facts to suit their twisted objectives. He also attacked the BJP saying that they have been exposed again with 'Maximum Claims, Minimum Evidence'.

• Why does the Congress party hate Indian traditions and culture so much? A sacred Sengol was given to Pandit Nehru by a holy Saivite Mutt from Tamil Nadu to symbolize India’s freedom but it was banished to a museum as a ‘walking stick’.

  — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 26, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Why does the Congress party hate Indian traditions and culture so much? A sacred Sengol was given to Pandit Nehru by a holy Saivite Mutt from Tamil Nadu to symbolize India’s freedom but it was banished to a museum as a ‘walking stick’.

  — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 26, 2023

  ">

  Why does the Congress party hate Indian traditions and culture so much? A sacred Sengol was given to Pandit Nehru by a holy Saivite Mutt from Tamil Nadu to symbolize India’s freedom but it was banished to a museum as a ‘walking stick’.

  — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 26, 2023

"There is NO documented evidence whatsoever of Mountbatten, Rajaji & Nehru describing this sceptre as a symbol of the transfer of British power to India", Ramesh added in his tweet. He also said that the sceptre was later kept for display at the Allahabad Museum. What Nehru said there on December 14, 1947, is a matter of public record despite whatever labels may say, he added.